1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns pads for placement between the back of a ridden or pack-bearing animal such as a horse or mule and a saddle to distribute the weight applied from the saddle to the horse. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a saddle pad which reduces the pressure applied to the horse's back by providing inserts to adjust the load application, which reduces pinching in the area of the horse's withers, and which provides ventilation through openings in the pad.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thus use of padding between a horse or mule and a saddle is a common, if not a virtually essential practice. Such padding includes boots of sheepskin or foam attached to the skirts of the saddle, or more commonly a pad or blanket which is placed over the horse's back before placement of the saddle. Blankets are commonly provided of wool because of its durability and Navajo wool blankets have long been used by western riders. Saddle pads are similar to blankets, often being somewhat softer and thicker.
The saddle blankets and pads are usually of uniform thickness. Some attempts to introduce more modern materials into saddle pads have been undertaken, with hydrogel, open-cell foam and closed-cell foams being employed, as well as air as a cushioning medium. These pads have commonly focused on the cushioning effect of the pad, and provide improvement in reducing friction between the saddle and the horse's back.
However, the use of these more modern materials also results in drawbacks. For example, hydrogel is a heavy material that traps heat generated by the working horse beneath the pad, and is not suitable for conforming rapidly to the horse's back during movement. Foams, if dense enough to provide adequate durability, transfers the pressure from the saddle tree deep into the horse's muscle tissue with sufficient magnitude to cut-off circulation. Wool felt has been used, but is more structural rigid, and thus provides little padding.
As a result, riders may use 2 or 3 pads or a single very thick pad, thinking this will prove more comfortable to the horse. In actuality, this may result in severe pinching of the horse's trapezius muscle where it is attached at the vertebral "Spinous Processes" in the thoracic area, also known as the withers. Furthermore, the use of the extra pad or extra-thick padding may reduce the available space left under the front of the saddle. As a result, excessive pressures develop beneath the pad because of its thickness.
A further drawback of existing padding is the inability to lessen pressure or impingement on the rotating scapulas of the horse by the saddle tree. The placement of the saddle blanket or pad over the flexing muscles and moving scapula of the horse may result in substantial discomfort. Existing blankets and pads also fail to compensate for the asymmetrical animal whose back is shaped differently from one side to another.
Thus, while existing pads and blankets aid in reducing the friction between the horse and saddle, they try to provide a "one-size-fits-all" approach without compensation for the configuration of different horses, do not sufficiently lessen pressure or impingement to localized areas on the horse's back, and may pinch in the area where the saddle fork meets the side rails over the horse's withers.